Thermostatic valve



Nov 179 93@ @({NDERVATER 2,969,994

THERMOS TAT I C VALVE Filed April 20, 1935 a WGA:

-.1 :xfs-:- i' l FWZ 97@ Ii, l r/c NUL NVENTOR R1/[U5 K/'no/e/'mfel' BYv 3 f.

f WO

ATT RNEY Patented Nov. 17, 1936 UNITED STATES THERMO STATIC VALVE JuliusKindervater, Richmond, Va., assignor to American Locomotive Company, NewYork, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 20, 1935,Serial No. 17,470

1 Claim.

This invention relates to signalling devices and more particularly todevices for use in connection with steam generators to signal to theattendant when the water in the generator reaches 5 a predetermined lowsafety level in order that he may replenish the supply.

The main object of the invention is to provide a, signalling deviceemploying a bellows-like thermostat operating part, the device beingsimple in construction, reliable and easy to maintain.

A further object is to provide a device of the character aforesaid whichis easy tol dismantle to facilitate cleaning of the various parts whenoccasion requires.

A further object is the provision, in a device of the characteraforesaid, of means for adjustment of the position of the bellows-likethermostat part for regulating the extent of the exrequiredbefore asignal can be given.

Other and further objects of and advantages achieved by the presentinvention will be apparent from the following description of a preferredembodiment of the invention.

While the signalling device of the present invention may be employed ingeneral in connection with any fluid container wherein the contentsthereof will, by temperature variations, effect expansion andcontraction of the bellowslike thermostat operating part to effectrespectively the producing and terminating of a signal, the device ishowever intended more -particularly for steam generators and principallyfor locomotive boilers which require a high degree of watchfulness toinsure a sufficient supply of water, especially when the locomative istravelling on grades which throw the water to one end or the other ofthe boiler thereby lowering the water level at the opposite end.`Therefore in the present instance the device is shown in connection witha locomotive boiler. While this is done partly for convenience ofillustration, the locomotive shown is of the frebox type, which takenvin combination forms part-of the present invention.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a fragmentary diagrammatic sideelevation of the rear end of a locomotive boiler showing two of thesignal operating means applied thereto, and Fig. 2 is an enlargedlongitudinal vertical central section of the signaling device shown inconnection with a fragment'of the rear end of a locomotive boiler shownin longitudinal vertical section,

pansion of said bellows-like part that will be certain of the parts ofthe device being shown in elevation.

Referring in Adetail to the drawing, the locomotive boiler with whichthe device is illustrated is indicated by the reference A and is of therebox type, including the usual rebox a., water and steam container b,crown sheet c separating the iirebox from the container, and back wall dseparating the container from the cab (not shown), these being the onlyparts of the locomotive necessary to be described in the presentinstance. The Water level in the container is indicated at e and thespace above is for the generated steam.

The signalling device comprises an encasing structure indicatedgenerally by the numeral I, which for convenience is madein two parts.One part, conveniently termed the outer end portion of the structure,forms a valve casing 2 of the valve indicated generally by the numeral3, later to be more fully described, and the other part, convenientlytermed the inner end portion of the structure, forms a casing or support,4, for a bellows-like thermostat operating part, later to be more fullydescribed.

The two casings 2 and 4 ofthe encasing structure I, are secured togetherby a threaded plug and socket joint 5, and a cavity 6 is provided in oneof the parts adjacent the other part, in the present instance in thecasing 4 adjacent the casing 2, which cavity is filled with packing 'Iwhich is held under compression to make a uidtight joint (for a purposelater to be noted), by the tightening together of the parts of thejoint, a pressure plate 8 being interposed between the packing and thecasing 2.

The valve casing 2 is formed With a diagonal wall 9 dividing theinterior into two chambers I0 and II. The outer end wall of the casing 2is provided with an opening. principally for the purpose of assembly.The Wall of the opening is threaded and engages the threaded end of aclosing plug I2. The wall 9 has a centrally disposed vertical orificedportion in which orifice is formed a seat within the chamber I0 for avalve element I3, which is also disposed in the chamber I0.

The encasing structure I, packing l and plate 8 are provided withaligned bores connecting the two casings 2 and 4 and the plug I2 isprovided with a socket opening into chamber I0, said socket and boresbeing in line with the orifice in the wall 9.

The valve element I3 is secured on a valve stem I4 having one end,conveniently termed the inner end, slidably fitting in said bores andhaving its opposite or outer end slidably fitting in said socket, aspring I5 being mounted on said outer end between the plug I2 and thevalve element I3 for maintaining the valve element I3 normally in closedposition and for automatically returning said valve element to closedposition when opened, as will later appear.

A fluid controlled whistle I6 is connected with the chamber II, and apipe I1 is connected with chamber I0 for connection with a supply ofcompressed fluid, as for instance compressed air which may be the usualcompressed air supply of a locomotive for the various purposes for whichcompressed air is employed. The pressure of the fluid will, in anobvious and usual manner, operate the whistle to produce a signal whenthe valve element I3 is opened. The whistle may be of any usual orpreferred construction operable by fluid pressure, and is vtherefore notfurther described in detail. As will later appear more than one signaloperating means may be employed with but one signalling means, that isto say one whistle, in which instance another uid pipe, such as the pipeI1d will be employed, but where, as in the ordinary case, but onesignalling device will be employed this second pipe I1d will not beneeded, and therefore all connection thereof with the whistle will beeliminated.

The casing 4 provides a chamber I8 which is in communication with theinterior of the container,

in the present instance the container b, and is normally lled with waterfrom the container.'

The casing or support 4 is, as shown, preferably cylindrical in shape,the cylindrical wall I9 thereof being disposed horizontally and itsouter end wall 20 forming a closure for the chamber I8 at this end. Theinner end of the casing 4 is open and interiorly threaded. The wall I9is provided with holes 2l which, though not essential, are desirable tofacilitate cleaning the device.

A socket 22 is formed on the inner face of the wall 20. A bellows-likethermostat, indicated generally by the numeral 23, forming part of thecontrol means for the signalling means, is housed within the chamber I8.This bellows-like thermostat part comprises a bellows proper 24 whichmay be of any usual or preferred construction, the specific constructionforming no part of the present invention. The bellows-like thermostatoperates in the manner usual with thermostats of this type, namely whensuitably heated it expands longitudinally and when cooled it contractslongitudinally. In the present instance the interior of the bellowsstructure is sealed and is illled with a suitable gas or liquid,'whichreadily expands and contracts when subjected to increasing anddecreasing temperatures, mercury being a suitable liquid often employedfor such a purpose.

A stem 25 projects outwardly from the outer end of the bellows 24 and isengaged and supported by a sliding fit within the socket 22. A stem 26projects inwardly from the inner end of the bellows 24 and is supportedby a head 21 which is exteriorly threaded and screwed into' the inneropen threaded end of the casing 4. Openings 28 are formed through thehead 21 to afford communication between the container b and chamber I 8.

A threaded opening 29 is formed through the head in line with the stem26 which is similarly threaded and screwed into the threaded opening, aslot 36 being provided in the end of the stem 26 for a screw-driver tofacilitate screwing the stern into the head and for adjusting the stemand consequently the benows in a longitudinau direction fora purposethat will presently appear.

A lock screw 3| is screwed into the threaded opening 29 to bear tightlyagainst the end of the stem 26 to securely lock the stem in its adjustedposition. In some instances it may be desired not to thread the stem 26,in which case it will merely rest against and be supported by the screw3|. The screw 3| will in;such case coact with the bellows-likethermostatpart and serve as an adjusting means for adjusting said part',in which case a second screw (not shown) should be employed to serve asa lock screw.

A hollow plug-like member 32 provides a houslng for the casing 4, thecylindrical wall I9 of this casing being housed within the hollow orbore of the plug-likemember. A circular flange 33 is formed on thecasing 4 and bears against the outer end of the member 32, a sealingWasher 34 being interposed between said end and flange to provide afluid-tight connection. The ends of the member 32 are exteriorlythreaded and a nur, 35, provided with lugs 36 for the applicationthereto of a wrench, engages the outer surface of the flange 33 and isscrewed on the outer end of the member 32 so that when the nut isscrewed tightly home the casing 4 will be firmly held in place andprovide a fluid-tight joint with the member 32.

The wall d is provided with a threaded opening f which engagesthethreaded inner end of the member 32. The joint thus provided may befurther secured by welding (not shown) if desired. The member 32 isprovided with a squared flange 31 for the application of a wrench. Avent pipe 38, while not deemed usually necessary, may be provided, ifdesired, connecting the upper part of the container with the chamber I8.The valve stem I4 projects into the chamber I8 in line with the stem 25.

The operation of the-device is easily understood. It will be obviousthat the valve stem I4 and the bellows stem 25 may be connected, inwhich case the bellows-like thermostat, when contracted, will positivelydraw the valve element to closed position, and in which case there willbe no necessity for the automatic closing of the valve, such as by meansof a preponderance of fluid pressure on the closing side of the valve,or by means of the spring as shown, in which case the stem 26 must befirmly anchored as shown. It is however believed desirable to make theclosing of the valve automatic, as for instance by means oftheclosingspring as shown, in which case the head 21 need only serve as asupport for the stem 26 (the threads on the stem not then beingrequired) and the screw 3| serving to prevent the stem 26 from moving ina valve closing direction when the bellows-like thermostat is movingunder expansion, and furtherserving to adjust the position of thethermostat as already explained.

Not only is it desirable to provide for automatic closing of the valvebut it is further desirable that the valve stem I4 and the bellows stem25 be made separate, the valve element and valve stern therebyconstituting a control for the fluid employed in operating thesignalling means and the bellows-like thermostat part providing anoperating means for operating the valve or fluid control means.Furthermore by making the valve stem I4 and bellows stem 25 separate aslight space therebetween may be provided when the valve element is inclosed position and the chamber I8 is lled with liquid, thus alwaysinsuring a sure closing of the valve when no signal is required. l

In locomotive practice it is well known that the crown sheet of theboiler of the flrebcx type (in the present instance the sheet c) isdirectly exposed to the dangerous iniluences of the heatingmediumemployed for generating the steam. The boiler is purposely soconstructed that the crown sheet will receive and transmit to the waterin the container a maximum amount of heat from.

the heating-medium. Nevertheless the liquid in the container is reliedupon to keep the temperature of the crown sheet down to a safe point;consequently there is a xed or predetermined minimum safety liquid levelbelow which it would be dangerous to allow the liquid to fall. Obviouslyany liquid level above this minimum safety level is a safe level, andthe signalling device of the present invention is tapped into the wallof the container at a position so that when the liquid reaches arelatively low but safe level, preferably a safety level somewhat abovethe minimum safety level, the liquid, which up to this point, has filledthe chamber I8 will flow out of the chamber and be replaced by vapor.

The bellows-like thermostat part, in the preferred embodiment, isadjusted in a manner, as aforedescribed, so that when the chamber I8 islled with liquid at maximum temperature the forward end of the stem 25will just touch or preferably just clear the inner end of the valve steml. It is obvious that when the chamber I8 fills with the generatedvapor, which is of a higher temperature than the liquid, the increasedheat imparted to the bellows-like thermostat part will `expand thispart. This part being mounted, as previously described, to prevent itsmovement in a valve closing direction during said expansion, willlaccordingly move in a valve opening direction and effect an opening ofthe valve element, thereby admitting fluid under pressure to the whistleto produce a signal. The attendant of the boiler is thus warned thattheliquid has reached a low level making it advisable to replenish thesupply. As soon as the supply is replenished the chamber it again fillswith water upon the rising of the water level in the container. Thebellows-like thermostat part being thereby brought in contact' with acooler medium will accordingly cool and contract which will result inmoving the stem 25 in a valve closing direction to its normal position,whereupon the spring, which is now free to react, effects an automaticclosing of the valve element and consequently a termination of thesignal.

Obviously the sensitiveness of the bellows-like thermostat part willdepend upon the adjustment, that is to say the normal space allowedbetween the valve stem i@ and the stem 25.

Therefore in practice this space will be regulated to provide the bestresults.

A material advantage of the present invention resides in the ease withwhich the parts may be dismantled when it is desired to clean or repairthem. While the parts are made preferably of non-rustable materials, thedevice will, nevertheless, require periodic cleaning, at which time allthat is required is to unscrew the nut whereupon the entire encasingstructure with its associated parts may be Withdrawn from the pluglikemember 32 and thus be removed entirely from the boiler. To facilitatethe assembling and disassembling of the encasing structure the casing dis preferably made a loose t, as shown, within the plug-like member.

While the device has been shown in the preferred embodiment with theparts, such as the encasing structure and interior associated parts, ina horizontal position, it is obvious that the entire device may beturned 90 degrees to a vertical position without departing in any wayfrom the spirit of the invention. In this case the whistle which wouldthen be horizontally disposed would preferably be connected to the valvecasing by a right angle elbow, and likewise the plug-like member wouldbe connected to the container wall by a right angle elbow. Or, insteadof the right angle connection to the container, the inner end of theplug-like member may be entirely closed by a cap and the plug-likemember may then be connected with the container by straight horizontalpipe couplings tapped into the member at or near the top and bottomthereof in a usual and well-known manner.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, it may be desirable, in certaincases, to employ two signal operating means, as for instance in alocomotive boiler where, when the locomotive enters a grade, the waterlevel is instantaneously materially lowered at the high point of theboiler. Obviously two complete devices may be employed in such cases,but Fig. 1 illustrates a way of providing for this by providing a singlewhistle I6 and two signal operating means.

As shown both signal operating means are similar in all respects, one,denoted by the reference B, being mountedon the back end of the boiler,similar to that shown in Fig. 2, where the whistle is employed, withinthe cab (not shown) of the locomotive, and the other, denoted by thereference C, being connected through the side of the boiler with theinterior thereof at a suitabledistance above and slightly in advance ofthe front end of the crown sheet c.

Each of the signal operatin-g means B and C is provided with acompressed air feed pipe il similar to the feed pipe shown in Fig. 2.The feed pipes l 'l-,ll' are connected by branches llaila to a commonfeed pipe llb, provided with a contr'ol valve llc, which leads from acommon supply of compressed air.

Instead of the signal operating means C being equipped with a separateWhistle, the whistle connection thereof is employed for the connectionto said signal operating means of a pipe iid which extends to thewhistle l and is connected as shown to the fluid connection connectingthe signal operating means B with the whistle i6.

It will be readily understood that when the 1ocomotive is on a grade andthereby disposed at an angle, the more elevated signal operating meanswill be the one to effect the operating of the whistle should the waterbe sufficiently lowered relative to said signal operating means topermit the steam to enter and to thereby effect expansion of thebellows-like thermostat part. Regardless which of the signal operatingmeans is affected the attendant'will know that the -Water has reached alevel at some part of the boiler making it desirable to increase thesupply of water.

While there has been hereinbefore described an approved embodiment ofthis invention, it will be understood that many and various changes andmodiiications in form, arrangement of parts and details of constructionthereof may be made without'departing from the spirit of the inventionand that all such changes and modifications as fall within the scope ofthe appended claim are contemplated as a part of this invention.

The invention claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A device for moving the stem of a uid-controlling valve, comprising acasing having means at its outer end for securing thereto the housing ofsaid valve and having an opening in said end for receiving said stem;means for sealing said opening and for permitting said stem to extendtherethrough in sealed sliding engagement therewith for preventingegress and ingress of fluid from and to said casing; a thermostat memberdisposed in said casing, adapted for operable response to temperaturediierences in the contents of a iluid container, having a oating endadapted for operable engagement with the end of said stem; a support inthe opposite end of said casing for supporting the opposite end of saidmember; means for adjusting the position of said opposite end of saidmember in a direction longitudinally oi' said member relative to saidsupport whereby said oating end of said member will be adjusted forpositioning same relative to said end of said stem for operation of saidvalve by said member; a plug-like member adapted for attachment to awall of said container, said plug-like member being hollow and saidcasing being housed therein; and detachable means for securing saidcasing to said plug-like member in fluidtight connection therewith, saiddevice being provided with an opening for communication with saidcontainer for receiving fluid therefrom.

JULIUS KINDERVATER.

